It is sometimes necessary or desirable for a percussionist playing a drum set to incorporate alternative percussion instruments in the midst of a song. In some cases the alternative percussion may be a hand-held instrument such as a shaker or jingle. In other cases the alternative percussion instrument may be one that remains stationary while being played directly by contact from the percussionist or indirectly when the percussionist strikes a drum to which the instrument is attached. Generally, for a hand-held instrument, incorporation requires a percussionist to interrupt his hand movements to reach for the alternative percussion instrument, which may adversely affect his performance. Thus, it is desirable to have alternative percussion instruments adapted to attach to the drum set in a manner that puts them close at hand so that a percussionist can incorporate them into the music with less disruption.
Because the need for specific percussion accessories may vary between individuals, or may vary between individual songs, it is desirable that the percussion accessories be readily removable and interchangeable. Also, because of vibration and impact caused by playing drums, it is desirable that the percussion accessories be securely attached to prevent them being dislodged during drum play.